It is known to anchor wiring harnesses to automotive body structures by means of clips which include a first portion which surrounds or otherwise attaches to the harness and a second portion such as a bayonet fastener which can be forced into a preformed hole in the body structure. The bayonet fastener is often called a “Christmas tree,” is made of plastic, and can take any of several forms all of which include barbs which deform to enter the hole and resist being withdrawn.
It is now becoming common to use flexible flat cables (“FFCs”) instead of more conventional bundled wires. An FFC is illustrated herein as comprising a plurality of parallel spaced apart flat conductors embedded in a flexible, plastic insulator.
The prior art shows one FFC anchor in the form of a flexible C-shaped plastic clip having an integral bayonet fastener extending from the clip base. An anchor of this design can only be used with an FFC having a width corresponding generally to the inside dimension of the C-shaped clip. Where FFCs of different widths are used, supplies of several different size anchors must be provided.
Adjustable clip-type anchors to accommodate FFCs of different widths are known. In general, such devices comprise multi-component ratchet or strap-type structures which are complex to make and use.